I’m replying to a letter that was supporting Trump with statements that have been proven to be false (“Reelect Donald Trump, the champion of ‘we the people,’” Oct. 10). 1. Successful business people do not file for bankruptcy six times. 2. World peace would mean Putin can run rampant and take over any country he […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Richards Ranch annexation is not an even playing field
Orcutt finds itself in an odd position with this annexation. We have to forward our concerns to the city, not the county. We have to rely on the city to support us even though they may hold other interests. Not an even playing field. This annexation process has been compared to a hostile takeover. I’ve […]
Posted inOpinion
Racing molasses
Senior mobile home parks across the county are getting protection from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors to stay senior—forever and always. Well, most of them should get that protection, if the board continues along its current path, which would put a moratorium on changing 55-and-older mobile home parks to all-ages and specify the […]
Posted inOpinion
America must do all it can to prevent nuclear war in the Middle East
The war in Israel and Palestine did not begin Oct. 7, 2023. It began before the state of Israel was created. In his book, Gaza: An Inquest into its Martyrdom, noted Israeli historian Norman Finkelstein writes, “In 1947, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution partitioning British-mandated Palestine into a Jewish state incorporating 56 percent […]
Posted inOpinion
Reelect Donald Trump, the champion of ‘we the people’
Having been American president No. 45, Donald Trump knows the swamp and the federal bureaucracy. He has years of experience as a worldwide businessman and employs thousands of people. He is for the people. As our president, he was and would be the “commander and chief” of the military. The bureaucracy reports to him. He […]
Posted inOpinion
Free elections need our protection from Trump
Every citizen of the United States of America has the right to participate in free elections in which they are allowed to vote according to their own beliefs and opinions. That idea is fundamental to our republic, but that right has been challenged all along. Legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 shows that […]
Posted inOpinion
Removal isn’t easy
So far, Santa Barbara County’s spent about $2.3 million cleaning out the Santa Maria Riverbed. It’s only one of the partners involved in the cleanup efforts, and those efforts have only tackled a third to half of what’s there. There was still a lot of work left to do, last I checked, and at least […]
Posted inOpinion
Patrick Wiemiller is the best candidate for Lompoc’s 1st District City Council seat
There are two City Council seats in Lompoc being contested in the upcoming election; one is for mayor and the other for the 1st District, on the north end of the city. The only qualification to run for a City Council seat is to be at least 18 years old and a registered voter. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Avoid the next catastrophic oil spill
Sable Offshore seeks to reopen the same failed oil pipeline that caused the catastrophic spill of May 2015. Almost 150,000 gallons of toxic and cancer-causing crude flooded our water and beaches, contaminating one of the most biologically diverse areas of the West Coast and leaving taxpayers with the economic consequences. The U.S. remains, by far, […]
Posted inOpinion
American reality is better than Trump claims
Donald Trump likes to portray the U.S. economy as being on life support as he attempts to claim only he can save us from economic, social, and political calamity. He does the same regarding immigration. He convinced his Republican faithful in Congress to not pass a bipartisan bill, which would have significantly reduced the flow […]
Posted inOpinion
Who’s got the dough?
Maintaining a city is hard. It costs money. It requires people. They need public safety services, recreation, parking, walkable spaces, city streets, and more—all of which require infrastructure, maintenance, and money. Lots of it. So why would a city willingly agree to reduce the fees it charges housing developers to pay for all of that […]
Posted inOpinion
Totalitarianism, fascism, and authoritarianism are not games
I don my team’s colors and make sure things are tucked in right. It’s game day. Off to meet with my fellow participants to strategize where to be to watch the game. We all compare our newest gear and are energized by the prospect of the past and future meetups of our team. We all […]
